IMAGINE YOURSELF FREE

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME?
"Time is the currency of life" (Laurie)  "Time is not money---Time is everything" (Paul Styles)
The following is about a week's worth of caravan time pictured for you.

 Laurie and Sloan leading us to a buffet dinner.  We are about to depart the Casino for an adventure down south 150 miles. 

 

We all travel separately for maximum freedom----will assemble down there at the base of those mountains---at Caballo St Pk. 

 

 A great sunset welcomes me.

Next morning outside my door---two companions.  I enjoy having my friends close by.

A new friend joins us.  For the unacquainted that rig is a Lazy Daze---a superbly crafted motor home that will last---forever?

 

And here's the lady driving it---meet Jeanne and her dog Riley. 

 

Another new friend--- Carol joins us for a spell.  She creates and sells exquisitly beautiful napkins. 

CB rolls in --finds a spot that suits him.

We often walk together in the evenings.

Occasionally eat together.

An inspiration session. The idea is to share something that inspires you.

 

Sometimes we sit in the shade and chat.

This day we hiked to a pepper patch.

Another day we went to Truth or Consequences.  Tish shows us around the hot tubs.

CB builds us a fire. Laurie brings giant marshmallows.

CB hosts movie night---complete with popcorn.  He is an engineer and not surprisingly his rig is solar powered and an electronic marvel. On consecutive nights we watched THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK  and  BAGHDAD CAFE.

Look at this picture carefully.  I am being paid off for winning a bet.  Jeanne held the money. CB holds hat-in-hand symbolizing humility at learning (officially) that "a pint is a pound the world around" is false.  A gallon of water thus weighs not 8 pounds but 8.35 pounds.

 

Tish smiles at the super string of LED lights I've just installed. They use one tenth of the power of that old light ---delivering the same luminescence.

 

Jeanne rewards me with a new cap of her own making.

 

One morning--in a wierd mood--we decide to show off our scars.

The ladies all want a ride on CB's motorscooter.

 

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  "ISOLATION IS A DEAD END! THE SELF IS FULFILLED IN COMMUNITY" (Teilard de Chardin)  I don't know exactly how community fulfills the self---but we are seriously experimenting to find out.  Too much connection is distracting and too little  distorts us.

But more important than the amount is the quality.  Our goal is to draw together evolving personalities capable of engaging at the level of authenticity.  (With a willingness to be playful, open, and growth oriented.) At this level wonderful things happen: Defensiveness drops away---we begin --to reveal ourselves---absorb character traits that we admire in others----inspire creativity---promote synergy.

AND OH YES---IT'S LOTS AND LOTS OF FUN.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN---ADVICE TO HURRICANE VICTIMS

SOMEONE IS SOON GOING TO GIVE YOU A BIG CHECK---$200,000 or so---for the damage to your house.  DON'T FIX THE HOUSE---TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN---OUT HERE---where your spirit wants to be.  $200,000 is enough money to live on for the rest of your life.   About $20,000 will get you on the road in a comfortable rig.  $180,000 will let you live in great comfort---without working---for the rest of your life.  I have less than that---and have not worked for 38 years. 

You can join the million of us already out here----consuming little---living large.  We wake up each morning doing only what we feel like doing.  We greet our companions---walk if we feel like it---eat what we want---work on projects we enjoy----travel wherever our instincts call.

I am living proof that you need not live in drudgery.  But for greed and fear--- The industrial revolution could have freed us all--- from more than a few years of labor.  But most of us have been seduced into consumerism and debt---living hamster-wheel lives that do not satisfy.

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE-----shuck it all and join me in the West.  Rent-- out here-- in beautiful places can be less than a dollar a day. 

You suspect there is more to you than fodder for corporate cannons.  You have something to contribute to the world----something that requires freedom----and time---and creativity.

 SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY----

MOBILE COMMUNITY LIFE----IS IT REALLY THAT GOOD??

 

YES IT IS----AND HERE'S PROOF!!

Our happy caravan settled in at the Sandia Casino, along with 300 other RVers, as day breaks over the Sandia Mountains to the East.

By the time I can make coffee, a few hundred balloons rise in the air.  This is the first day of the world's largest balloon fiesta.  Here's the view from my front window.  Keep in mind that we all are parking free while a stone's throw away others are paying $250 or more.

Looking left, a few hundred more are visible. 

 

 

They stay up about 2 hours---drifting every which way.  Different elevations have different directioned winds.  This one came right over me 

 

 

Every single balloon pilot must find a safe place to land.  Apparantly it's not a difficult task.  All 600 or so balloons landed without incident. 

 

 

Afterwards I walk around checking out the rigs.  Could you guess that this monster was German made?

 

We invited readers and friends from around the nation to visit us here.  Meet CB---from Georgia. He had two motives for coming here---connecting with us and-----

Connecting with his new friend ----a superwoman---local businesswoman---more about her later

 

A reader from Texas---meet Terry---who stopped by to say hello.  Was enroute to mysterious Chaco Canyon.

 

Jim rode in from Colorado Springs.  We had a great exchange of ideas.  Sell that house Jim and join us on the road.

Four guest at once ---a near record for me. Left to right: CB, Laurie, Tish and new friend Carol.

 

And guess who's parked down the way?  Recognize Chris---Queen of the road---doing her morning exercises.  http://mobilecodgers.blogspot.com/2012/08/meet-queen-of-road.html

 

And who should roar in from Illinois but my old friend Ron. That's his "humble" rig.

Laurie arranges for all of us to enjoy lunch buffet for only $5 each. The gentleman to my right is Bob--PHD grad from Harvard. (Biology) who was terrifically entertaining.

 

Darkness comes and fireworks begin.  We line up our chairs outside and enjoy a terrific show.

 

A glance inside the hosting Casino.  I embrace Laurie as Queen of Navigation----Splendid settings like this do not intimidate her.  She moves with a confidence that makes flunkies stand aside and nod respectfully---and give her whatever she asks for.  She led us to the exclusive top floor for an "on high"  viewing of the fireworks show---into the swimming pool &  hot tub many times---onto the dance floor----into two weddings and a trade show.

 

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  Ah sweet people---I've only scratched the surface.  In addition to free parking, balloon show and fireworks,  we enjoyed the following courtesy of the Casino:

 1. Half priced giant cheesburgers---$2

2. Free soft drinks, hot chocolate, OJ, and coffee

3. Free popcorn

4. $25 free money to gamble with---you can keep all your winnings.

5. Gasoline at $3.35 per gal

6. Free water and trash service.

 

And yes, I know----NONE OF THAT IS REALLY MEANINGFUL- 

What was meaningful was---WE WERE ENJOYING IT TOGETHER---SHARING OUR DELIGHT.

The loners around us looked with envy at our connection.

I think to make this lifestyle enjoyable, three things are necessary:

MOBILITY

MEANING

CONNECTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Windows 8 Muddle

This isn't shaping up to be the transcendent week that Microsoft wanted it to be.  The Windows 8 announcement isn't a failure by any means, but the coverage is a lot more mixed and confused than I'm sure Microsoft would have liked.  That's partly due to some clever marketing by Microsoft's competitors, and partly due to some mistakes made by Microsoft itself.

The situation all came together for me this morning when I did a brief appearance on Bloomberg TV, a cable business channel in the US.  The segment was supposed to cover the new iPad Mini and Windows 8, with equal time given to each one.  The Bloomberg folks spent time with me yesterday prepping the questions on each subject.

The equal billing of iPad Mini with Windows 8 is itself bad news for Microsoft.  Windows 8 represents the reinvention of Microsoft, one of the biggest changes the company has ever made.  The iPad Mini is a follow-on product in the iPad line.  It's a very nice follow-on, and probably one that will sell very well, but it's not at the same level of importance as Windows 8.  However, hardware gets more attention in the tech press than software.  It's more tangible, and people react to it emotionally. So the Mini jumped right into the mix.

Apple very cleverly timed the Mini announcement a couple of days before the formal Windows 8 rollout, distracting the press from Microsoft's story.  It reminds me a bit of the way the iPhone rumors undercut the Microsoft Zune launch in late 2006.


Leaking Flagship

Even with the competitive game-playing, Microsoft's announcement should have been OK.  But then Microsoft failed to ship the Intel-compatible "Pro" version of its new Surface tablet on time.  Instead, the only Surface device being reviewed right now is the Windows RT version, which can't run existing Windows software.  Since Surface is the Windows 8 flagship, and hardware gets more coverage than software anyway, the concerns about Windows compatibility in Surface RT are dominating a lot of Windows 8 press coverage.

One of the most biting Surface reviews was David Pogue's in the New York Times, who compared Surface to owning "a new Ferrari...that has to be refueled every three miles."  (link).  PC Magazine called it "a disaster" (link).  You can see more reviews summarized here.

There's an answer to the concerns about Surface RT: wait and buy the pro version.  But the last thing a vendor wants to do right before the December buying season is tell customers not to buy.  You'll hurt sales of not just Surface RT, but all other Windows 8 products as well.  So Microsoft can't push that message aggressively.  (Hey, Microsoft -- you say you want to be a device company?  Lesson No. 1 is that you have to ship your high-end flagship product before Christmas, not right after it.)

The Windows 8 muddle was in full play for the Bloomberg segment, which started with video of Bloomberg's Sara Silverstein and Gizmodo's Sam Biddle trying to use Excel on Surface.  Sara tries and fails to copy a formula using the touchscreen.  Sam tells her Microsoft claims you can use all of Excel in the touch version.  Sara replies sarcastically, "I believe that you would...if you're making a spreadsheet about, you know, lemonade stands" (link).

Then the segment jumps to the iPad Mini, with a discussion of how it stacks up against Amazon's subsidized tablet hardware.  That's a great topic, and deserves a lot of thought.  In fact, it goes on so long that Bloomberg runs out of time and never comes back to Windows 8 (link).  So Apple and Amazon steal most of the oxygen, and the only impression you get about Windows 8 is that it's not ready for serious business use.

Not all the Windows 8 coverage is negative.  For example, Walt Mossberg did a nicely balanced piece on All Things D (link), and Wired was pretty positive about Surface (link).  But the story of Windows 8 is complicated.  In a world of quick sound bites, it's very easy for the press to caricature Windows 8 as "that touch screen thing that doesn't run your stuff properly."  Clever marketing by Apple is giving Microsoft less time in the press to explain the nuances of Windows 8, and the failure to ship Surface Pro on time makes Microsoft's job even tougher.  Microsoft has enough money to wait out the bad coverage, but I think it's less and less likely that Windows 8 will deliver the massive initial sales that Microsoft promised for it.

A SIMPLE QUESTION THAT COULD WRECK ROMNEY'S CAMPAIGN:

MR. ROMNEY---DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT AMERICAN INDIANS ARE DESCENDED FROM THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL?

HE DOES!!!  HE REALLY DOES!  AND IF HE IS ELECTED PRESIDENT WE WILL HAVE A PRESIDENT WITH LITTLE RESPECT FOR SCIENCE.  IT BODES ILL FOR THE NATION WHOSE VERY EXISTENCE MAY HINGE ON RESPECT FOR SCIENCE.

Let me explain:  Romney is an indoctrinated Mormon who has not abandoned his indoctrination.  He truly believes what the Book Of Mormon says. Most of it is harmless drivel---yeahs and therefores--(what Mark Twain called a real Snoozer) It claims to be the revealed word of God and about 14 million Americans accept it.  A powerful culture has grown up around it.

Here  in summary is the story it tells: About 600BC  the Jewish clan of Lehi escaped across the Arabian peninsula built ships --- sailed to central America and settled---- building, in time  great cities and civilizations.  Two tribes formed---the Nephites and the Lamanites ---eventually waging  war with one another and the Lamanites (a dark skinned people) eradicated the Nephites. (a light skinned people)  Mormons believe that the American Indians are descended from the Lamanites.

Science tells us that the American Indians are of  Asian mongloid descent---likely coming across the aleutian land bridge about 14,000 years ago.  Jews are Semites---an entirely different racial type.  So you see the problem.  Either Science is right or the Book Of Mormon is right.  No credible scientist in the world----other than indoctrinated Mormons---believe this incredible story.

The Book of Mormon goes on to say that when these two tribes settled in America---that there were Horses, cows, elephants, metallurgy, wheat, chariots, wheeled vehicles, the compass, figs, silk, steel, brass, chains, iron, plows, swords and scimitars.  NO REPUTABLE ANTHROPOLOGIST IN THE WORLD----ONLY INDOCTRINATED MORMONS---BELIEVE THIS.  All these things were brought to America after Columbus came in 1492.  But Romney and 14 million Mormons believe it.

Are you astonished? 14 million people conned into believing something so obviously false?
And yet they do----twisting and squirming in a hundred ways to try and be intellectually respectable---yet knowing in the back of their minds  IT ISN'T TRUE.
Happily, the number of Mormon indoctrinated people leaving the church is rapidly increasing---it is collapsing at an increasing rate --like the Catholic church and all other religions that pretend to have ACCESS TO CERTAINTY.
Disproving mainstream Christianity is a tougher challenge (it makes equally rediculous claims, however) because it is 2000 years old and the evidence against it is not so recent or evident.  BUT REFUTING MORMONISM IS A SLAM DUNK SCIENTIFICALLY.  And that is why I wish somebody Tuesday night would ask the question and show the world that Romney has not seriously questioned his indoctrination ---his judgement in serious matters is likely to be as shallow as his religion. 
Everyone owes it to the world to seriously question--the metaphysics of their childhood.
I do not want someone this gullible to be president. Have a look for yourself----see what you think.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_authenticity_of_the_Book_of_Mormon

http://www.dimmeria.com/?q=node/21

http://freethoughtblogs.com/alethianworldview/2012/03/23/the-case-against-mormonism/

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE CARAVAN

TEN MONTHS AGO WE SET AN IDEA IN MOTION:  WHY NOT WANDER TOGETHER-- FOR THE FUN OF IT-----AND AS WE GO---"CREATE A MORE PERFECT UNION"----INVENTING A NEW KIND OF COMMUNITY---- COMMITTED TO "CHAMPION" ONE ANOTHER TO BE OUR HIGHEST SELF.

It began down there---after the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous---Laurie, Kathy and I alone on the desert began to consider a new kind of tribe.  (our friend Joyce flew us over our campsite) 

 

We moved on to Yuma for a month or so, settling along this beautiful lake, inviting several friends to camp with us.

Then we scattered for awhile---agreeing to re-assemble in Silver City, NM.  I went desert camping---one of my favorites----splendid nothingness!  Try it---you will be seduced by the silence and the space.

 

Reassembled in the forest near Silver City, NM.  Lynn and Boonie have joined us.  Lots of activity in town.  I leave awhile for dental work in Mexico.

Then Boonie leads our troup to the mountaintop near Glenwood, NM.  Peg rolls in for a visit.

 

Next Boonie takes us to the cool---9000 ft elevation outside Springerville, Az.  Mark and Ginger join us.

 

Sometimes later, the tribe moves on to Bluewater State Park near Grants, NM---for a 3 week stay.  Our adventures there are recorded elsewhere in this blog.

Thence to Heron Lake State Park near Chama, NM---elevation 7000 ft.  Perhaps our favorite stop.  Wayne wirs visits as does Bushrod with his sailboat---Jim Jaillete is also here.  We recruit Tish to come with us and make a new friend in Chris. (see "meet a queen of the road")

 

Next I went drifting solo for awhile and rejoined the group at Eagle Nest State park---8000 ft.  I mention the elevation because we deliberately stayed in the high mountains to keep cool.

Then to Storrie Lake St Park near Las Vegas, NM for awhile.

 

After a visit with my friend Bushrod in Santa Fe---I convened with the gang at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival.  Nearly every day you see this sight.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:   For 10 months we have adventured together And kept our pledge--to champion each other.  Folks have dipped in and out of the caravan---and we have attracted new friends to join us in various places.

SO WHAT HAVE I LEARNED??

 1. That it's very satisfying to be connected with friends who do not need you but enjoy you. 

2. That a cluster of six to eight feels right. More might also be good. 

3.That the essential difference between our group and ordinary RVcaravans is that we COMMIT UP FRONT to champion each other to be our highest self.  (This means that we are not afraid to engage  at a meaningful level. To go beyond mere RITUAL and PASTIME chatter---- to share what we really THINK, WANT,FEEL,HAVE DONE. Also to allign our  energies from time to time in fun projects.

 4. That a blend of solitude and society seems most satisfying.  That intervals of solitude are sweeter when you know you are connected. 

5. That we who have dared to embark on  this hero's journey need three major things: MOBILITY---MEANING and CONNECTION. A good connection with special friends can help generate personal meaning.

6. That a group traveling together slowly creates a comfortable CULTURE. (traditions--inside jokes etc)

7. That the BONUS OF HUMAN ASSOCIATION is real:  Put in one unit of something (energy, attention, creativity, effort) and get back many times the worth of your contribution.  This is why humans tribalized in the first place.   

 8. That it's best to travel alone when moving to the next campsite.  When 2 or more travel together you tend to pass up things that interest you.

9. That it feels so good to go adventuring with friends and to engage at at meaningful level---That we will just continue the caravan into winter.  If this seems like your cup of tea---feel free to visit us at the Sandia Casino in Albuquerque or at our next stop: Elephant Butte St Park, NM. 

 

 

 

 

 

ONLY RVERS CAN BE THE PERFECT GUEST

ALL OTHERS --LIKE FISH---WILL SMELL IN THREE DAYS--OR LESS.

 

 

This is my rig about 3 days ago parked at my friends' house near Santa Fe.  The tiny trailer was a previous home of mine which I sold to him. Can you see the huge array of solar panels back there?

They completely power his household and shop.  The surplus is sold to the power company---- payoff time is about 7 yrs.

 

My oldest friend--of 39 years--lives here.  Lets me claim this as my official residence for legal purposes. He built it himself--a real adobe structure---with a real "slingshot" thermal effect: Slow to heat up and cool down---counteracting hot days and chilly nights.

 

Lets me store my Hobi-cat sailboat here.  Would anyone out there like to buy it?  Will take $400 for it and the trailer. Contact me if interested: randythepoet@yahoo.com

 

NOW TO DESCRIBE THE PERFECT GUEST:

 

1. Comes to enjoy the mind of his host

2. Needs only a parking place.

3. Does not eat the hosts' food.

4. Sleep in his house.

5. Use his bathroom, his water, his electricity.

6. Does not Leave garbage, make noise.

7. Does not disrupt his lifestyle or be a nusiance.

8. Comes to enjoy the company of his host, gives him the best of your attention when he wants it and leaves before he wants you to.

9. Looks for ways to do some good while you are there. (this taught to me by Arnold Ecklund my mentor and travel companion for many adventures)

 

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: As you can see, ONLY RVers can be the perfect guest.  All others to a greater or lesser degree quickly become a pain in the ass.